Dispatches from Central Absurdistan
1. In yet another reason to keep those shows on the air, reality TV breeds new body ideals. 2. It'll take a lot of rats to clothe plus-size models in the latest fashion accessory. 3. Encouraging us to keep the…
We Didn’t Start the Fire
Actually, to counter singer/songwriter Billy Joel, we did start this FIRE. Not you and me, of course, but our culture. The U.S. industrial economy is all about Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate. The FIRE is about to run its course,…
Three Chinese Curses
May you live in interesting times. Mission accomplished. I'm there, as we all are. As we always have been, during two million years of the human experience. May you attract the attention of the government. I'm there, as I have…
A Few Rocks from the Box: A Meditation
This guest post is authored by John Rember _____________________________________ 1. In my sophomore year of college I enrolled in a course that had given generations of students a painless way to satisfy the liberal-arts science requirement. It was known as…
Batten down the hatches
If you're indebted to the federal government and its evil twin the industrial economy for your financial well-being or, like most Americans, for your very survival, the coming storm will not resemble a monsoon so much as a hurricane-style downspout.…
A Day in the Life: Further Adventures at the Mud Hut
People keep asking me what my days are like. How do I spend a typical day? Now that I'm retired from the academic life -- or rather, now that I've departed the academy in disgust and despair -- I no…
What We Leave Behind
Like most people, I've long been interested in the notion of my legacy. Will anything I produce outlast me on this planet? Has my teaching inspired critical thought, appreciation for the natural world, or empathy for humans and other animals?…